Chapter 174. A Conversation, Trading Troops for Titles
During the meeting with the Reinhardt Kingdom’s envoy, the other party proposed a marriage alliance. They hoped to marry one of Reinhardt’s princesses to William in order to strengthen the alliance between the two kingdoms.
William refused almost without hesitation.
In the past, he had been constrained by circumstance, and many things had been beyond his control. But now, with the Eastern Continent in chaos and Kroll’s military strength growing by the day, he no longer needed to use marriage alliances to maintain a balance.
“Marriage concerns a person’s own wishes. It cannot be forced.”
William’s tone was mild, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.
“But when it comes to resisting the Troll Tribes, Kroll is willing to send troops to help.”
Although the envoy could not hide his disappointment at having the marriage proposal rejected, he also let out a quiet breath of relief. Securing Kroll’s military support had already been one of the main objectives of this trip.
Those so-called “Troll Tribes” were, in truth, no smaller than a kingdom. They had merely retained a tribal system of rule, with power jointly held by dozens of chieftains.
Every one of their clansmen was massive in stature, thick-skinned, and astonishingly tough. Not only were they ferocious in battle, but their wounds also healed at an incredible rate. Ordinary swords could hardly deal them fatal damage.
The moment Reinhardt’s army came into contact with them, it had fallen into a completely one-sided disadvantage, and its defensive lines had retreated again and again.
William had long heard of this, yet he still sent only five Noble Legions.
He told the envoy plainly,
“Kroll’s soldiers are not mercenaries, but they still require an equal exchange. As long as Reinhardt is willing to provide enough cultivation resources, however many legions you want, I can send that many.”
The envoy immediately seized on the key point. “Then will these legions be placed under Reinhardt’s command?”
William smiled faintly and shook his head. “No. All Kroll legions will be personally commanded by our kingdom’s princes. We can coordinate tactically in battle, but command authority must remain independent.”
That was his bottom line. The legions were the foundation of Kroll. There was no way he would hand them over to another kingdom’s command. If he did, they would undoubtedly be used as cannon fodder.
The envoy looked troubled, but he also understood that this was already the greatest concession William was willing to make.
The threat of the trolls was pressing, and Reinhardt had no room to bargain.
“I will report Your Highness’s conditions to His Majesty the King exactly as they are,” the envoy finally said with a bow.
William nodded.
What he wanted had never been Reinhardt’s attitude. What he wanted was tangible resources.
Kroll was currently at a critical stage of military expansion and reorganization, and it needed a tremendous amount of resources to push his plans forward faster.
As for the Troll Tribes’ ferocity, he was not unprepared.
Those five Noble Legions were merely the advance force. If Reinhardt’s resources arrived in full, he would not mind letting those self-proclaimed savage trolls have a taste of Kroll’s iron army.
A few days later, Reinhardt’s envoy requested another audience. This time, his face carried an urgency he could not conceal. The moment he saw William, he bowed.
“Your Highness, His Majesty our king has already agreed to your conditions. The promised resources will arrive at Kroll’s border within three days. Please have your kingdom send reinforcements as soon as possible. The trolls’ offensive is simply too fierce.”
William sat in his chair, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingers, his expression calm and unmoved.
“You misunderstand.”
He lifted his eyes toward the envoy, his tone clear and resolute.
“It is not ‘send troops first and receive resources later.’ However many resources are delivered, that is how many troops will be sent. Kroll’s legions must first see the resources in place before they march.”
The urgency on the envoy’s face instantly froze, then gave way to panic.
“Your Highness, but the trolls are already approaching the border fortress in the Western Frontier. We simply cannot wait that long. And legions need time to travel as well. If—”
“Then have your king move faster.”
William cut him off, and there was not the slightest hint of compromise in his voice.
“Kroll’s soldiers do not appear out of thin air. Armor, weapons, provisions, which of them does not require resources?”
“I cannot send my men to risk their lives on empty stomachs.”
He rose to his feet and walked over to the envoy, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.
“I understand Reinhardt’s predicament, but Kroll has its own bottom line as well. Once the resources arrive, the troops will depart immediately. If the resources do not arrive, then there is nothing more to discuss.”
The envoy opened his mouth, still wanting to argue, but when he met William’s unquestionable stare, he swallowed the words back down.
He knew that although Kroll’s Crown Prince looked young, he was far harder to deal with than anyone had imagined. At this moment, Reinhardt had no capital to negotiate with.
“I... I will send word back at once and urge them to deliver the resources as quickly as possible,” the envoy finally said through clenched teeth.
William gave a slight nod and signaled for the Attendant to see the envoy out.
After the envoy left, Tos stepped forward. “Your Highness, by being this forceful, will we not make Reinhardt dissatisfied?”
“Dissatisfied?” William let out a cold laugh. “Once the trolls chew through their Western Frontier, they will know who truly has the right to be dissatisfied.”
He walked over to the war map and pressed a finger to the border region between Reinhardt and the Troll Tribes.
“The trolls are fierce, but Reinhardt is not so weak that it cannot withstand them at all. Holding on for a few more days will not be a problem. What we want is resources, not gratitude.”
Tos came to an immediate understanding and bowed. “This subordinate understands.”
Three days later, the first batch of resources arrived at Kroll’s border as scheduled: provisions, magical plants, refined iron, and even several chests of rare Magic Crystals.
After confirming everything through the Communication Crystal, William immediately gave the order.
“Have the First and Third Noble Legions set out. They will be commanded by Prince Kata and will depart at once from the Silver Oakleaf Royal Territory to support Reinhardt.”
The sound of horns rang through the royal capital. Armor clashed, and hooves thundered. The two Noble Legions set out amid clouds of dust, marching toward Reinhardt.
As for those noble lords who had voluntarily proposed sending troops to assist other kingdoms, William had already made plans for them.
After discussing it with Kroll II, an edict was soon proclaimed throughout the Kroll Kingdom.
Any noble lord who could help the kingdom send troops to support its allies would be allowed to exchange the quantity and quality of the forces they contributed for a corresponding title promotion, with the highest possible advancement being to the rank of Count.
The moment the edict was issued, Kroll’s entire noble class erupted.
In the past, advancement in rank either required generations of accumulated family seniority, slowly enduring year after year, or it required staking one’s life on the battlefield to win military merit. For an ordinary noble, climbing even one step higher had been as difficult as reaching the heavens.
But now, as long as they were willing to provide Private Troops, they could directly exchange them for a noble title. Such a good opportunity was practically like a pie falling from the sky.
“I can contribute five hundred cavalry! Can I get a Viscount title with that?”
“I have three hundred heavy infantry in my manor. Can I fight for a Baron title with them?”
“I heard that old Hawke from the east is preparing to send out all his Private Troops. He’s aiming for the rank of Count.”
The nobles’ discussions spread through castle after castle and manor after manor. Those lords who had previously remained on the fence about sending troops to support Reinhardt now had red eyes with greed and excitement.
They were raising those Private Troops anyway. If those soldiers could be exchanged for real titles and honor, only a fool would refuse.
In just a few short days, William’s desk was piled high with Memorials from the nobles, every one of them patting his chest and swearing how many troops he was willing to provide, asking only that the titles promised in the edict be honored.
As William looked over those Memorials, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
This was exactly the effect he had wanted.